DECEMBER 23

POINSETTA BOWL: BOISE STATE (8-4) v NORTHERN ILLINOIS (8-5); 4:30 PM ET; ESPN … Today’s bowl doubleheader has a definite MAC flavor to it as teams from the conference will be in both games stating with Northern Illinois playing Boise State in the Poinsetta Bowl in San Diego. This game also features the highest rated prospect in either of the day’s games in BSU SS Darian Thompson (#4, 6-1, 210), a big hitter with second-day potential who also had 5 picks this past season. BSU also has several other seniors who figure to get some late round or free agent interest including C Marcus Henry (#72, 6-3, 295) and CB Donte Deayon (#5, 5-9, 160). However, the Broncos’ best players other than safety Thompson are underclassmnen such as big-play junior WR Thomas Sperbeck (#82, 5-11, 175) and sophomore RB Jeremy McNichols (#13, 5-9, 205). And yes, freshman QB Brett Rypien, the Mountain West newcomer of the year this fall, is the nephew of former NFL QB Mark Rypien. For its part, Northern Illinois also features one of the best young players in the country in sophomore CB Shawun Lurry (#19, 5-8, 180), an opportunistic ball-hawker whose 8 interceptions this past season led the country. As a true soph, though, Lurry won’t be draft eligible until 2017. In fact, it may be until 2017 when the next Husky gets drafted as they don’t have a ton of senior talent, although MLB Boomer Mays (#45, 6-0, 245), CB Paris Logan (#29, 5-9, 195) and OG Aidan Conlon (#61, 6-2, 305) could get some free agent calls.

GODADDY BOWL: BOWLING GREEN (10-3) v GEORGIA SOUTHERN (8-4); 8 PM ET; ESPN … One would think that there really couldn’t be much to get excited about watching a meaningless bowl game between Bowling Green and Georgia Southern, but one would be wrong. Indeed, Bowling Green features one of the best offenses in college football led by QB Matt Johnson (#11, 6-0, 220), who led the nation in passing yards this fall with 4,700. Johnson also tossed 43 TD passes while being picked off just 8 times. Hard to know what the NFL will make of Johnson because he lacks prototype height at barely 6-feet, although his reply might consist of two words: Russell Wilson. Meanwhile, here’s a quick trivia question (and be careful it might be a trick question): which of this year’s two star Big XII receivers, Corey Coleman of Baylor or TCU’s Josh Doctson, led the country in receiving yards. It was a trick as the answer is BGSU sophomore WR Roger Lewis (#1, 6-0, 200) who had 1,476 yards this past season when he averaged almost 18 yards per catch. And while he is still technically a true sophomore, Lewis is actually draft eligible this year because he attended a prep school for a year after graduating high school. For good measure Bowling Green also has a pretty good back in RB Travis Greene(#8, 5-9, 190), who ran for 1,200 yards this fall. In fact, RBs could be wild in this game as GSU junior Matt Brieda (#36, 5-10, 190) had over 1,500 yards on the ground and actually led the country with an 8.2 yards per carry average. Brieda, though, is unlikely to enter this year’s draft, and isn’t all that big anyway. Indeed, its unlikely that any GSU player will be drafted althougfh OLB Antwione Williams (#37, 6-2, 245) and FS Matt Dobson (#7, 6-1, 210) could be free agent candidates.